How to Learn to Draw Birds
A sparrow hopping through the shrubbery or a cardinal fluttering through the treetops makes a picturesque subject to capture through pencil. Many artists, both professionals and amateurs, delight in drawing these active creatures. By studying basic shapes of birds, examining the details of plummage and structure, you can create your own bird composition successfully. Practice honing your drawing skills as you draw your favorite bird to use as a wall-hanging or piece for your portfolio.
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Things You'll Need
- Digital camera
- Easel
- Tape
- Tracing paper
- Colored pencils
- Drawing paper
- Ballpoint pen
- Eraser
Instructions
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Take photographs. Go on a walk to look for birds in your area. Snap a few photographs of your favorite type of bird. Take several photos to get different angles of your chosen bird.
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Set up your work area. Position an easel near a strong source of natural light. Tape a few photographs next to your easel. Secure a sheet of tracing paper to the easel and arrange your drawing supplies close by.
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Begin sketching your bird with a dark colored pencil. Large or small, birds all have a general oval shape. Refer to your photographs, and lightly sketch the shape of the bird. Draw a large oval for the body, and a smaller oval for the head.
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Continue drawing details of the bird. Think in geometric shapes. The wings and beaks can be roughed in with triangular shapes, the tail with a fan shape, and the eyes with small circles. Examine the position of each shape in relation to the others before sketching.
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Take the sheet of tracing paper down. Secure a sheet of drawing paper to your easel. Position the tracing paper facedown over the drawing paper and tape into place. Transferring the basic shape of your bird from the tracing paper to the drawing paper will allow you to make less mistakes on your final composition.
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Use a dull pencil or ballpoint pen to trace over the bird sketch. Tracing over your original composition will transfer your sketch directly onto the drawing paper.
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Remove the tracing paper. Fill in the details. Use a sharp, dark colored pencil to etch in the details of the beak, nostrils, and feathers. Mark the areas where the shadows fall on the bird, using your photograph as a guide.
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Color your bird. Pressing hard with your colored pencils produces a bold, deep hue, while skimming the surface of your paper with your colored pencil will produce a light pastel color. Create highlights and shadows using different tones of colors to create depth in your composition.
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Mix colors. Lightly layering one color over another with pencil can help produce the sometimes mottled plummage and muddy colors of feathers. Use light hatching strokes in two different colors, such as a gray and a brown, to help you achieve a realistic effect.
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Tips & Warnings
Take frequent breaks to avoid wrist strain. Avoid eye strain by working in a well-lighted area.
Place a sheet of tracing paper between your hand and the drawing to avoid smearing your work.
Practice drawing shapes on scrap paper. Work on perfecting circles, ovals, triangles and other geometric shapes to make your sketching easier.
References
- Photo Credit Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
